With the advent of small microelectronic circuitry and advances in small battery-powered motor systems, a variety of toys have been provided which include one or more battery-powered features operative in response to an internal microprocessor controlled circuit. The ability of toy makers to provide internal battery supplies and internal control circuitry within relatively small spaces has made possible a virtually endless variety of toys which are in one respect or another self-operative. For example, many toys such as dolls or toy figures as well as miniature toy vehicles or the like have been provided within internal battery-powered sound producing systems which facilitate sound response by the toys. Other toys utilizing such modern electronic capability have included remotely controlled toy vehicles or robot figures all having a seemingly self-contained capability to perform various actions and produce accompanying sounds. In several varieties of such self-sustained toys, external stimulus may be applied to provide a corresponding predetermined response within the toy figure. For example, toy dolls have been provided which may produce suitable audible responses as the doll is moved from a seated position to a prone position or similar attitude changes. Still other toy figures having internal processors and control systems have exhibited an interactive capability in which the child user interacts with the doll or toy figure and elicits various responses having a timing and relationship which simulate actual interactive communication.
In the various processor and microprocessor controlled toys and toy figures of the type described above, the processor or microprocessor includes an associate memory within which a stored instruction set is available to control the operation of the toy and to provide audio messages and the like. In further instances, toys have been provided in which the memory or a portion thereof operating the processor within the toy is supported upon a removable and replaceable cartridge allowing the interchange of memory cartridges within the toy to provide a greater variety of toy performance and responses.
While the various microprocessor controlled toys have provided great improvement in the art and, in many instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved amusing and entertaining types of such toys.